


Another Place

by wonhoes



Category: GOT7
Genre: Abuse, Angst, Blood, Character Death, Dark, Evil, Explicit Language, Kidnapping, M/M, Markbum, Markjin, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 07:23:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7213225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wonhoes/pseuds/wonhoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jinyoung wished he hadn't been so goddamn curious.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I think you've seen too much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first chapter is lapslock and a littleee ugly because it’s written a year before the rest of the fic okay yes okay have fun

it was late, around 11 pm, and jinyoung didn't want to be out on the street; yet he was. he sighed, the street lights perfectly illuminating his face. he was walking home, deciding he didn't want to sleep at his friend's house. his friend, yugyeom, was a nice guy. he snored, though, and jinyoung was a light sleeper. their houses weren't that far apart, and jinyoung preferred to sleep in his own bed anyway. jinyoung pushed his hands further into his pockets, feeling slightly uncomfortable. he usually wasn't out after 8 pm unless he was with someone else. he continued walking, sighing softly.

jinyoung froze when he heard a noise in the distance. it sounded like someone was in pain. he spun around, looking for whoever caused the sound. he frowned in confusion when he didn't see anyone. he looked around again and noticed a small alley on the other side of the road. 'jinyoung, this is how characters in horror movies die. do you want to die?' he asked himself. curiosity had already taken over, though, and before he could process it he was crossing the road and headed towards the alley. he stopped in front of it. there were barely any streetlights in it, making it hard to see anything. jinyoung did see some kind of movement. it looked like someone was leaning against a wall. jinyoung could hear the person's whimpers and mewls louder than before. he bit his lip nervously.

he decided he would go help the person. they were obviously in pain. maybe they couldn't call 911, maybe they were having a stroke. jinyoung walked into the alley, making sure to be completely silent so the person wouldn't get scared. when jinyoung was deeper into the alley, he realized there were two people instead of one. one of the boys was on the ground.

when jinyoung moved even closer he could see the boy clutching onto his stomach. he looked up at the other boy. the second boy was facing the wall opposite of the other boy. jinyoung couldn't see any of the boy's features but he did notice how tall he was. he looked deep in thought. jinyoung stood still and watched, not daring to interrupt the scene in front of him. he wasn't near any of the few streetlights so they'd had to really focus to see him.

the second boy suddenly turned around to face the boy on the ground again. he kicked the him in the stomach with so much force, he fell over. jinyoung's lips parted and his eyes widened. he had never witnessed any real act of violence in person. he stood frozen, watching the boy on the ground get hit till he was laying flat on the ground. he had his arms covering his head and was letting out sounds that scared jinyoung. the boy kept kicking and kicking the other guy. he eventually stopped, crouching down to the boy's level. jinyoung felt his eyes sting with tears. he was so terrified he couldn't think straight. he remained still, looking at how the injured boy was now being pulled up by the collar of his shirt. he was roughly pushed against the wall of the slim alley. the boy let out a loud groan. jinyoung noticed how much the boy was shaking. he barely attempted to get off the hand that was moving from his collar, towards his neck. it wasn't until about thirty seconds later when the boy started struggling against the hand pushing agains his throat. the tall boy lifted him up by his neck. jinyoung watched as the boy's legs dangled underneath his body. "don't- please don't do this" he gasped, clawing at the hand around his neck. he kept tugging and digging his nails into the tall boy's arm. more words rolled out of his mouth but jinyoung couldn't hear them. he watched the boy turn completely limp. it only took a minute but it felt like years had passed when the hand finally left the boy's neck. jinyoung felt his bottom lip tremble as he looked at the boy. he fell on his knees first before the rest of his body collided with the cold ground. the body remained motionless. jinyoung's breaths started getting heavier and more frequent. he had just witnessed a murder. he subconsciously let out a tiny noise of discomfort. it was enough for the tall boy to turn around. jinyoung gasped and looked at the boy. he then turned around and ran as fast as he could, adrenaline taking over his body. he didn't want to die. he heard heavy footsteps run after him. 'fuck, fuck, fuck' was all jinyoung could think. he kept repeating it in his head, hating himself for being so goddamn curious. if only he had just continued walking he would have been home by now.

jinyoung heard the footsteps come closer. he was almost out of the alley now. he heard the footsteps come even closer until he felt a body collide with his. he fell onto the ground on his stomach, whimpering from the impact. he felt the boy get on top of him. jinyoung was breathing heavily from both fear and running. he didn't notice the wet tears streaming down his face. he was going to die today. he hadn't even lived his life and he was going to die. he was going to die, he was going to be found in this alley tomorrow morning, he was going to-

his thoughts were interrupted when he felt his hand get twisted in a painful angle behind his back. jinyoung let out a cry. "who the fuck are you?" the boy demanded angrily. "I'm sorry, I didn't- I- I-" jinyoung cried out. he couldn't think straight. all he knew was that his arm hurt and that he was going to die. "what's your name?" the boy demanded again. "jinyoung." jinyoung tried tugging his arm free but that resulted in the boy simply twisting it more. jinyoung let out a loud sob. "I'm so sorry, I'll pretend I did- didn't see anything" jinyoung sobbed in between hiccups. the boy above him stayed silent for a second. he then flipped jinyoung around so he was on his back. the boy sat on jinyoung's stomach, pinning his hands next to his head.

jinyoung's eyes were red and puffy, his nose was red too. his lips were turned into a pout, his bottom lip trembling. he looked up at the boy through glossy eyes. small droplets had gathered into his eye lashes. thick tears were still sliding down his face at a rapid speed.  
jinyoung tried to observe the boy on top of him but it was extremely difficult because the tears kept blurring his vision. he noticed the boy had light brown hair. he was skinny, too.

"It's a shame"

the nameless boy started. "you seem like you haven't done anyone any harm. you just were at the wrong place-" jinyoung felt his hands get pushed into the ground harder than they already were; it hurt. "-at the wrong time." the boy finished. "my name's mark by the way, but it's not like that's going to be useful to you in a few minutes."

jinyoung was trembling underneath mark. "please, don't kill m- me." jinyoung cried. all he could think about was how he was going to die. "please" he sobbed and turned his head so he wasn't looking at mark anymore. he looked at the brick wall next to him. "jinyoung" jinyoung gasped for air. he didn't like how his name sounded when mark said it. he didn't like anything about mark. he wanted him to disappear. "you can't live with a secret like this forever,-" jinyoung felt mark's hand leave his right hand. he then placed it on the boy's chin, forcing him to look up again. "-can you?" a smirk spread on mark's face when jinyoung stayed silent. "exactly."

mark then got off jinyoung. he gripped onto the boy's hair and harshly pulled him up, not letting go until he was standing. jinyoung then felt mark grab onto his arm, twisting it so the familiar pain from earlier returned. jinyoung whimpered out in pain but mark ignored it. he started pushing him forward. "what are you doing?" jinyoung stuttered. mark ignored him, simply continuing pushing him forward.

they soon reached a black car. mark unlocked it and jinyoung's eyes widened. he stopped walking completely, already seeing where this was heading. mark tried pushing him forward but he stayed in his spot. he knew he was going to be fucked as soon as he was in the car but he couldn't get away with mark still holding his arm. mark tried pushing again but jinyoung wouldn't let him. mark then twisted jinyoung's arm more, making him whimper. he then placed his hand around his neck, pushing down. jinyoung immediately started coughing, his free hand flying up to the one in his neck, trying to get it off. mark left if there for a few more seconds, removing it when jinyoung felt his eyes sting with tears again.

he then pushed jinyoung forward, towards the back of the car, with ease since jinyoung was too busy catching his own breath. mark held onto jinyoung tightly, opening the trunk. 'please don't put me here, please don't put me here' jinyoung pleaded inside his own head. mark got out a rope and duct tape before closing it again. "I- I don't think those are necessary." jinyoung stuttered out. mark ignored him again, pulling him towards the backseat of his car. he opened the door before pushing jinyoung in, face first. "don't struggle" mark warned. he then grabbed onto jinyoung's wrists, putting them on his back. jinyoung quickly pulled back his wrists again. he didn't want to get tied up. he pushed himself forward, towards the other car door and away from mark. he tried to open it but, unfortunately, mark had already locked it. jinyoung turned around. he noticed how close mark was to him and, out of shock, kicked him in the stomach. mark let out a groan, looking at jinyoung with angry eyes. 'shit, you're a fucking idiot' jinyoung thought. he pressed his back against the locked car, pressing his legs close to his chest. he knew he had already lost the fight; regret washed over him.

mark grabbed onto jinyoung's ankles and pulled him down the back seats, towards himself. jinyoung's head bumped against something hard, making him whimper. "you fucking brat" mark cursed. he punched the other boy in the face. jinyoung cried out in pain. mark slapped jinyoung across his cheek before flipping him onto his stomach with ease. he twisted his arms behind his back again. mark tightly tied jinyoung's wrists together. jinyoung sucked his bottom lip into his mouth, biting down on it harshly. the ropes rubbed against his bare skin in a painful way. his face was also starting to hurt.

jinyoung felt himself being flipped over onto his back again. mark then took the duct tape, ripping a piece off. he placed it over jinyoung's closed lips. jinyoung stayed completely silent, breathing heavily. he closer his eyes. nothing happened for a few seconds but eventually jinyoung felt a hand in his hair, tugging on his roots harshly. "open your eyes" mark demanded calmly. jinyoung did as told, making eye contact with mark. "ah, I like you more when you don't struggle" mark stated, flashing jinyoung a grin before pushing him onto his stomach again. he then climbed out of the backseat and closed the door. he made his way towards the driver's side. he opened the door and casually sat down, making himself comfortable, as if he hadn't just murdered someone and then kidnapped someone else. jinyoung laid on the backseat, his cheek pressed into the fabric of the back seats. he was trying to calm down his breathing to a normal rhythm. he let out silent tears, sniffling quietly as he heard the car start. he got goosebumps all over his body when he heard mark laugh. he was fucked; he was so, so fucked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think!
> 
> also i changed the name to another place because it's a more fitting title to me so please don't be confused


	2. Teach me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm reuploading this hi

Jinyoung woke up feeling dizzy. He didn't bother opening his eyes for a second, trying to recall what had happened before he fell asleep. When he did, he immediately opened his eyes, sitting up. He was in a small bed with scratchy covers. The room he was in was small as well, a chair being the only thing inside of it besides the bed. There was a door on the left of the room, and a normal-sized window on the right. Jinyoung got up, regretting it instantly. The room was spinning and he had to hold onto the bedpost to keep his balance. He took a deep breath, lungs filling with air, before he released it. Then he let go of the bedpost, deciding he trusted his legs enough. He took small steps towards the door, anxiety bubbling in his chest. Anything could have been behind that door. He grabbed the door handle, slowly pulling it down. To his surprise, the door wasn't locked. Jinyoung’s eyes widened. All he had to do was find the front door, and he’d be free. He could run to the neighbors and make them call the police. 

Jinyoung carefully pushed the door open, holding his breath when it made a noise. He continued, slowly, until he was able to squeeze through. He was in a hallway now. He looked to his right. There were loads of doors, and they all looked the same as the one that led to the room Jinyoung was in seconds ago. Big, dark brown doors. Jinyoung noticed a huge painting on the wall at the end of the hallway. The interior of the hallway looked anything but modern, which was a complete contrast from the bedroom he was in seconds ago. Jinyoung looked to the left. There weren't as many doors, and it wasn't a dead end either. He had barely taken three steps when he heard a door open. He froze, looking up like a deer caught in the headlights. 

A boy around his own age stood in the doorway, his head tilted slightly. A grin covered his face, and it gave Jinyoung goosebumps. He was taller than Mark, and his hair had a deep brown color. “Are you lost?” he asked, clearly amused by Jinyoung’s facial expression. He started walking towards him. When he stood in front of Jinyoung, the latter suddenly jumped into action, running back into the room he came from. He shut the door and pressed his entire weight against it. He heard the boy chuckle. “Open the door, Jinyoung,” he said, his voice calm. It was almost too calm, and Jinyoung forgot how to breathe for a second. His name felt foreign to him when it came from the stranger, just like it did when Mark said it. “Or do you want me to come get you?” Jinyoung stayed quiet. The boy on the other side waited for a bit, but laughed when he realized Jinyoung wasn't going to come out. “Fine.” Jinyoung heard footsteps walk away from the door. He let out a soft sigh, moving away from the door. 

He was wondering how to get out of the house without getting caught when the door suddenly slammed open, making Jinyoung jump. The boy from before was standing there, holding up a knife. Jinyoung had about two seconds to scold himself for moving away from the door before he was trapped between two walls and the boy himself. “Was that really necessary?” he asked in a mocking way. bringing the knife up to Jinyoung’s face. Jinyoung whimpered when he felt the cool metal touch his cheek. He closed his eyes, trying to even out his breaths. Normally, Jinyoung would have had a million questions. Where exactly was he? Who was standing in front of him? Where was the person who had taken him? What was going to happen to him? He felt the knife move down his face, resting on his throat. No, Jinyoung couldn’t think of any questions. All that was on his mind was cool metal touching his skin. Anxiety swirled around him. It was everywhere. Anxiety was the sun, and there was no shade to hide in. Anxiety was the roaring ocean, and Jinyoung was on a tiny canoe. 

“You should have been dead by now,” the boy stated before moving the knife so the sharp size was against his throat. He pressed down, earning a cry from Jinyoung. “Please let me go,” he whispered, opening his eyes. The boy looked like he was enjoying the scene. Jinyoung didn't know how to feel about it. He felt the knife push onto his neck harder, breaking the skin under the heavy metal. Jinyoung took a sharp breath and froze. The knife didn’t push further, but Jinyoung couldn't breathe. His eyes glazed over, and he involuntarily let out another cry.

The front door shut, echoing through the house before a semi-familiar voice shouted something incomprehensible. “Jaebum!” the same person called before the figure walked into the room. Jinyoung’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw Mark. He had blood smeared onto his cheek and shirt, and was pretty sure it was in his hair as well. “What’s going on?” he asked calmly, looking back and forth between Jinyoung and the boy he’d just called Jaebum. Jinyoung felt himself get dizzy when Jaebum took a few steps back, taking the knife with him. He touched his own throat, bringing his fingers up so he could see the blood. His hands trembled as he felt the crimson liquid trickle down his neck. Mark was talking, but Jinyoung couldn't make out the words. He could only move his hand back to his throat. feeling the blood stain his fingers. He lost balance and fell right into someone. That’s when he snapped back into reality, sobbing. He pushed himself off who happened to be Mark, only to collapse on the floor. He hugged his knees, putting his head on top of them. 

Mark looked down at Jinyoung. He was curled up on the floor, shaking as he let out loud sobs. Mark sighed, looking back at Jaebum. The younger just shrugged, knife still in his hand. “How was I supposed to know he was going to be such a pussy about it,” he more stated than asked. Mark pushed his lips into a thin line, looking at his friend. “You’re a dumbass,” he said before walking out of the room. Jaebum followed him. “Did you cut him?” Mark asked, eying the knife. “His throat,” Jaebum replied. Mark sighed again. This was his problem. After all, he should have been more careful on the job. Jaebum had made that very clear when he had walked in with a barely conscious Jinyoung thrown over his shoulder less than a day ago. Mark walked past Jaebum, into the kitchen. He decided to wash the blood off his face so he wouldn't scare Jinyoung anymore than the two of them already had. He opened a cupboard, pulling out disinfectant and a few tissues. Maybe he was annoyed Jaebum had cut the kid, maybe. He walked back into Jinyoung’s room, closing the door behind him. 

Jinyoung didn't look up when he heard someone enter the room. He was hoping whoever walked in would just leave him. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Mark crouched down next to him. “Jinyoung,” he said. Jinyoung flinched but didn’t reply. “I need to clean the cut on your neck” Mark stated, annoyance dripping from his voice. Jinyoung didn’t move, and Mark let out a sigh. “Listen, we can do this the easy way or-” Mark cut himself off when Jinyoung lifted his head. His eyes were puffy, and he was trembling. It reminded Mark of the night before.

“You have to look at the ceiling so I can reach it,” Mark stated. Jinyoung did as asked, tilting his head up. He heard Mark pop open a bottle. He then placed his left hand right under Jinyoung’s jaw, holding it in place before he placed the tissue on his neck. Jinyoung immediately tried moving away. Mark held onto his face tighter, earning a cry from the anxious male. He tried to get Mark’s hand off, which only seemed annoyed Mark more. He pressed the tissue down harder than necessary. “Stay still,” he demanded. Jinyoung stopped struggling instantly. “It hurts,” he whispered, hoping to get some kind of sympathy out of Mark. “What were you expecting?” Mark muttered, unamused. Jinyoung stayed silent. When Mark was done, he got up. He almost made it out the room when Jinyoung asked a question. “Where are we?” Mark turned to Jinyoung. He shrugged, and Jinyoung’s face fell. He watched Mark walk out of the room, closing the door behind him. 

Mark walked into the living room. Jaebum was spread out across the couch. He looked up at Mark lazily. “How's the kid?” He asked. Mark rolled his eyes at the younger before walking towards the wooden stairs in the back of the room. He walked up the stairs, two steps at a time. When he was upstairs he slipped into the bathroom. He stripped and turned on the shower. He looked down at the floor as the water hit him, watching it go down the drain together with the blood of his most recent victim.

Mark was fascinated by the red coloring the otherwise clean water. He didn’t feel remorseful towards the woman he killed. Her name was Kim Sohee, and she had been a mother of two. She had also cheated on her husband, and was both mentally and physically abusive towards her children. Her husband was actually the one to hire Mark. He had told him she wouldn’t sign the divorce papers no matter how hard he tried to convince her. He just wanted to move on from the great pain she had caused him and his kids. Mark always made sure to listen to what his clients told him, even if he didn’t care. He honestly just liked to kill. It was a treat on its own, the money he got out of it was a mere bonus.

This woman, Kim Sohee, was a fun kill in particular. A ‘fun kill’ had many different meanings. Mark liked to see it as a simple preference one could have. For example, Jaebum loved when the people he killed tried to fight back. He’d think it was amusing as he knew they could never beat him. Mark really liked when people screamed, cried or begged for him not to kill them. Sohee happened to do all of those. She screamed (or, well, tried to) when Mark dragged her away from the party she was attending, cried when he showed her the knife he had brought, and begged him to stop as he was carving her children’s names into her skin. That was another characteristic for a fun kill to both Mark and Jaebum; making victims suffer. Whether it was emotional or physical, they both loved playing with people. That’s what made them a good match.

Mark still remembered the way he met Jaebum as if it had a day ago. He had been kicked out of the orphanage he lived in after he turned 18, and had lost count of how long he had been on the streets when the younger took him in. He let him stay for a week before he told him he needed to at least help pay rent. Mark asked him where he worked with the intention of maybe getting a job at the same place, but also because he wondered why Jaebum only left for his job when it was dark out. Jaebum casually told Mark he was an assassin, and Mark didn’t believe him. So Jaebum took him with him one day to show him. Mark had laughed the whole way to the worn out apartment building. He had expected he’d scare Mark when he shot a bullet through a sleeping man's head. It would have meant he’d have to kill him as well so he wouldn’t turn him in to the police. Jaebum had thought about it on the way there. It would be a pity, since he'd grown fond of the older living with him. Mark, however, was amazed. Neither of them said anything until they got back home. ‘Can you-’ Mark had hesitated before continuing, ‘-teach me?’ Jaebum had agreed instantly, and their friendship was born.

Mark rinsed off the shampoo in his hair before getting out of the shower


	3. Curiosity killed the cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate the start of this chapter please bare with me

Jinyoung was pacing around the room, walking in circles until he felt himself get dizzy. He sat down on the bed, bouncing up and down. He had to use the bathroom. More specifically, he had wanted to use one for the past few hours but was too scared to leave the room to ask. He got up again, letting out a small huff before he started pacing again. He had to ask them. They'd understand, right? Everyone needs to pee. Jinyoung squeezed his eyes shut, still pacing. He felt like if he delayed this any longer, he'd explode. 

You know what? Fuck it.

Jinyoung had waited for too long and was surprised with how well he had been holding up. He walked out of the bedroom, stopping in front of the door opposite of his; the door jaebum came through when they first met. He thought about knocking, but decided against it because wouldn't that be weird? He slowly reached out for the door knob. It was cold and Jinyoung didn't want to do this but he really needed to pee.

The door he opened led to a huge living room. The floor was covered by oak colored laminate. The walls were just a few shades darker. In the far right corner stood a dining table. It had a similar brown color. A big bookshelf was pressed against the wall opposite from him. Hundreds of books seemed to be resting inside of it, some of them with bent spines while others looked brand new. Across from a normal sized tv was a black leather couch, a glass table in between the two. The small amount of furniture didn't do the big space justice.

Jinyoung's eyes focused on the couch. Jaebum was laying on it. He was on his back, legs spread so there’d be enough space for Mark’s smaller frame to lay in between. He had his arms wrapped around the older, their hands on top of each other. Mark was asleep. He looked at peace, his chest slowly rising up and down while Jaebum was watching something on tv. 

The scene in front of him looked sweet, maybe even a little domestic. It felt like he was interrupting something, but it felt soothing to Jinyoung to see them do things ordinary people would do. He was about to walk into the room, when Jaebum turned his head. He didn’t look as scary when he held Mark like that. “What?” he asked. It sounded cold and it made Jinyoung realize where he was again. He was kidnapped by murderers; he was talking to a murderer. Chills ran down Jinyoung’s spine.

“I need to use the bathroom,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. 

Jaebum looked at him without replying. His stare made Jinyoung feel self conscious, but he fought off the urge to look away. “It’s up there,” Jaebum said. He pointed at a stairway in the corner of the room. “First door on the right. Don’t go into the other rooms.” Jinyoung nodded and quickly turned to the stairs. 

After almost tripping twice, he reached the top. He saw three doors: two on the right, and one on the left. He opened the first door on the right and sighed in relief when he saw the inside. It was a bathroom. While he was using the toilet he thought back about what had happened downstairs. The two criminals easily passed as a pair of harmless individuals. They looked like best friends attending college, or lovers living together. Jinyoung wouldn’t have believed they were able to do what they did if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes. 

After Jinyoung had washed his hands, he left the bathroom. The two other doors caught his attention again. He wanted to see what was behind them. Jinyoung thought about taking a quick look. Would they catch him? What if someone came upstairs by coincidence? Jinyoung carefully moved towards the top of the stairs, trying to make as little sound as possible. He could see Jaebum and Mark, still in the same positions as before. They didn't look like they were going to get up anytime soon with Mark asleep on top of Jaebum. He moved away from the stairs, looking at the door on the far right. Jaebum’s words echoed through his mind. ‘Don’t go into other rooms’. He took small steps towards the door, adrenaline rushing through his body. He could hear his own heartbeat get faster and faster as he reached the doorknob. He hesitated for a second before turning it slowly, afraid Jaebum might hear it. He opened the door enough to poke his head through. From what he could see there wasn't anything bad inside.

It was a small, dark room. The blinds were closed, but Jinyoung could see the room because of the light coming from the hallway. There were newspapers spread out across the room. On the floor, the chairs, the table in the middle of the room, and even stuck to the walls. Jinyoung pushed the door open further and took a step into the room, looking down when he felt himself step on something; another newspaper. He bent down, picking it up.

‘THREE BODIES FOUND IN WOODS NEAR-’

Jinyoung immediately let go of the paper, making it fall to the ground. He felt a shiver go down his spine. He considered just leaving quickly, and forgetting about the room all together, but curiosity got the best of him. So he walked further into the room. There more were newspapers on the table. 

‘MUTILATED BODY LEFT BEHIND IN CAR’

‘EYEWITNESS OF CAR MURDER OVERDOSED’

‘STILL NO LEAD FOR SEOUL MURDERS’

Jinyoung felt his stomach turn. He knew the people downstairs had been responsible for the headlines of the newspapers; every single one of them. He looked away, only to see more articles. The big letters were screaming, crowding the room. He turned around to leave, but froze when he saw a figure stand next to the door. He couldn't see his face, but knew who he was anyway. For a second it was completely silent, and in the back of his mind Jinyoung hoped he was the only one that could hear his heartbeat.

“What are you doing here?” Mark asked, calmly walking into the room. Jinyoung panicked as soon as he saw Mark step into the room. A strangled noise escaped his throat, and he instantly moved away. He hit the table, moving it backwards. He let out a gasp before he cowered into the far left corner of the room, his mind all over the place. How did Mark know he would be here? When did he wake up? 

“Please don’t hurt me,” Jinyoung said, biting his bottom lip to stop it from quivering. His lower back was on fire. Mark didn't say anything as he put the table back into its original position. He looked down at the newspapers, his eyebrows knit together. 

“I was only 19 when I forced that woman to swallow a container full of sleeping pills.” He stated after a minute of silence. Jinyoung drew a sharp breath, but didn't say anything. He watched Mark drag his fingers across the paper carefully, like it was going to catch fire if he pressed down hard enough. 

“But I had to. She was going to help make a composite sketch. They would definitely catch Jaebum if she did that.” Mark looked at Jinyoung as he spoke. They stared at each other for a while, silence filling the room once again. Mark had risked a lot trying to save Jaebum. As sick as his way of dealing with things was, Jinyoung could tell how loyal Mark was to the ones he cared about. Knowing he cared about someone made him seem a little less scary. However, knowing what he was capable of didn't ease his mind. 

“Did you feel bad?” Jinyoung asked. The words tumbled from his mouth before he could stop to think about them. He didn't want to take them back, though, because he did wonder. He caught himself wanting to know more about Mark, and he didn't know why. Jinyoung had always been a curious person, hence why he'd entered a place he wasn't allowed in, but he'd never think he'd go as far as risking getting seriously hurt.

“Yeah.” Mark said lowly. “But I don’t regret it.” 

Jinyoung wanted to ask why, but Mark suddenly moved towards him, stopping right in front of him. He stared down at him. Jinyoung pushed himself into the wall, not liking how close Mark was. He looked up to see an unreadable expression on his face. Jinyoung didn't like not being to read Mark. It made him even more unpredictable than he already was. Mark grabbed one of Jinyoung’s wrists. It didn't hurt at all, though, and it confused Jinyoung because it felt like less than a day ago he had seen a completely different person. 

“I think we should go now.” he stated. Mark led both of them out of the room, closing the door behind him. Then he let go of Jinyoung. He wordlessly walked down the stairs, leaving him on his own. Jinyoung frowned. Mark hadn’t hurt him, even though he did something he wasn't allowed to do. Even after he had dared to ask a bold question. Why? Jinyoung slowly walked down the stairs. In the back of his mind he wondered what was going through Mark’s head.

The next few days were uneventful. Jinyoung had stayed in his room all day the day after Mark had caught him. The day after that, he started taking casual trips to the bathroom. No one seemed to care, so he figured he could wander around the house as long as he wasn't bothering anyone. He discovered there were locks on the kitchen drawers, probably to keep him from taking knifes. The third door on the top floor was Mark and Jaebum’s bedroom. He'd discovered two days after he decided it was okay to walk around the house freely. He had been curious enough to go into the room, only to get caught by Jaebum.

“What do you think you're doing?” Jaebum said, seething.

Jinyoung dropped the object he had previously been holding. It was a metal keychain, shaped like a cat. He turned around to see Jaebum stand in the doorway. Goosebumps rose on his skin. Jaebum was wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants. His hair looked damp and there was a dark towel draped around his shoulders. Jinyoung assumed he'd just taken a shower.

“I,” Jinyoung started, having no idea what to say. He felt his heart speed up when Jaebum spoke. “Didn’t I tell you not to go into here?” 

Jinyoung had quickly made his way out of the room after that, flying down the stairway.


	4. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm semi satisfied with this but i was forced to post it

Jinyoung eyed the rain as it trickled down the outside of the window. He was sitting right in front of it, his nose almost touching it. He had forgotten when he traded his tiny bedroom window for the big one in the living room. The sounds of rain splattering against glass had never failed to calm him down. He was so lost in his own mind he hadn't even noticed when Jaebum entered the living room 20 minutes ago. 

He had been here for almost two weeks. He remembers leaving Yugyeom’s house on the 29th of october. Earlier he had turned on the tv to check what day it was. He remembers crumbling to his knees as he read ‘november 10th’ as today’s date. It had been 12 days. He wondered if people were still looking for him. The thought of it had been the only thing to keep him sane. Jaebum’s voice broke his train of thoughts.

“Mark,” he called. Jinyoung jumped up, turning around in confusion. Jaebum was sitting on the couch, a remote control next to him. His eyes looked bigger than usual, and Jinyoung wanted to know what had surprised him. 

“You need to come see this.”

Jinyoung was already up on his feet, moving so he could see the television. He let out a small gasp. 

“-highly possible the culprit is linked to Choi Jisoo, who was found dead nearly two weeks ago. We still have no leads on where Jinyoung is. If you've seen him or think you have, please call 82-” The sound suddenly cut off. Jinyoung looked up to see Mark with the remote in his hands. He had muted the tv.

“They're still looking for him?” Mark turned to Jaebum, talking about Jinyoung as if he wasn't there. Jaebum hummed in reply before he looked at Jinyoung. While he, once again, couldn't read Mark, it was obvious Jaebum was pissed off. If he could call the shots on his own, Jinyoung would have been six feet under already. 

Jinyoung tuned out Mark and Jaebum, who were starting to argue with each other on what to do. He felt a heavy pressure on his chest, and face was burning up. He couldn't organize his thoughts, everything swirling through his mind. He started walking towards the door as tears blurred his vision, wanting to be alone. He opened the door, not registering the bang it made when he closed it behind him. He crossed the hallway, dropping to his knees after he was sure the door to his bedroom was closed. Tears slid down his face. He sniffled softly. People were looking for him. He didn't know if he was relieved or horrified. The less people knew, the less people could get hurt. At the same time he was sure everyone he was close to already knew, and more people meant more chance someone would have seen him or Mark. 

After a few minutes, he slowly got up. He dropped himself on the bed, looking at the small window to his right. It was smudged with dirt but he could see through the cleaner parts. It was still raining. He signed before turning away. He wiped his face with the sleeves of his oversized sweater. He had changed out of it when Mark offered him some new clothes a few days ago, but ended up feeling weird in them. He’d swapped the clothes for his own again after an hour.

Jinyoung turned back to the window. His eyes fell on the lock on it, preventing him from opening it. He needed a key. He knew it was probably in one of the locked drawers in the kitchen, but he had no idea how to open them. He remembered the window in the living room and bathroom having the same taunting keyhole staring back at him. He was sure the front door was locked as well. There was no way out. 

He remembered a few days ago, when Mark didn't do anything to him even though he'd definitely crossed a border. In general, Mark seemed way too kind to be a murderer. Jinyoung thought about it for a second. In the back of his mind he wondered if he could gain Mark’s trust. Would he let him go? He knew there was no way for him to escape. Even if he did, the big window in the living room showed him they were in the middle of the woods. There were no other houses surrounding them. Jinyoung would have no idea how to get help once he was out. 

After what seemed like hours, Jinyoung got up from the bed. He opened the door, just in time to see Mark walk past him, turning the corner. He heard a door open. 

“Two pizza’s with-” Jinyoung froze as Mark confirmed the order. He had ordered pizza. Jinyoung remembered he had been on tv. He was sure he would get recognized if he showed his face to the delivery guy. He had already walked around the corner when he realized Mark could just kill him. He instantly stopped walking. He couldn't bare the thought of anyone getting hurt because of him. Mark looked at him with wide eyes, obviously not expecting him. He turned back to the delivery guy, handing him a 50.000 won note. He turned back to Jinyoung, giving him a look.

When he took too long to take out the change, Mark told the teen to keep it before shutting the door quickly. He turned to Jinyoung, staring at him. Jinyoung felt weak under Mark’s gaze, but didn't move regardless of it. 

“Why didn't you show yourself to the pizza guy? He would've recognized you; your face is everywhere right now.” Jinyoung took a minute to answer. 

“I just want to go home without involving too many people.” Mark laughed at Jinyoung's statement before moving past him, motioning for him to follow.

“The whole country is involved, Jinyoung.” Mark said as he set the pizza boxes down on the table. He pulled back a chair, sitting down on it. Jinyoung didn't realize he stopped cringing when Mark said his name. “Jaebum isn't here by the way.”

“I don't like to cause commotion.” Jinyoung stated, sitting down on the opposite side of Mark. He was surprised by the fact that he hadn't even stuttered once, even though he felt anxious. 

“So, since you don't like involving people, you wouldn't tell the police about Jaebum and I?” Mark pushed, looking amused. He took a pizza box before shoving the other towards Jinyoung. He had been living off junk food for weeks. 

“If it means I could just live my life how I used to, probably.” Jinyoung opened the lid of the pizza box, but instead of eating he just played with the cardboard. He was lying. He would report both of them, and tell them about everything he's seen. Mark let out another laugh before he grabbed a slice of pizza. 

“Damn. You liked your life that much?” He asked before taking a bite. Jinyoung stayed silent, looking at the box in front of him. He wondered why Mark was being nice to him, but he wasn't complaining.

“Why did Jaebum kill that person?” 

Jinyoung asked after a while. Mark looked up from his phone, a slice of pizza partly shoved into his mouth. He swallowed before replying. “Who?”

“You killed the female witness.” Jinyoung stated, taking a deep breath after he did. He kept forgetting Mark has killed people. 

“Oh, those,” Mark said casually, remembering the conversation they had a few days ago. “I don't really know, I guess it was for a job. It was stupid of him to be so careless. The woman could have lived if he was more careful.” Mark shrugged before looking back at his phone. Jinyoung wanted to take it and run into the bathroom, but he knew Mark was faster than him. He'd proven that a while ago. 

“H- how can you speak about this so casually as  
if it's nothing?” Jinyoung mentally cursed himself for stuttering. He really couldn't understand, though; how Mark could just take people’s lives and feel no sense of regret at all. It didn't seem humane to him. He wanted to know what had made him like that. When Mark looked up, he looked dangerous again. A shiver ran down Jinyoung’s spine.

“I don’t care about them.” That ended the   
conversation.

A few hours later, Jinyoung was sitting in front of the window in the living room again, his head resting on the window sill. It had started raining again a while ago. His eyes felt heavy but he forced himself to keep them open. He didn't know why he was avoiding his room, just knew he wanted to watch the rain forever. His eyes felt really heavy, though. One minute, Jinyoung decided. He’d close his eyes for just one minute.

 

‘The woman was trashing around in her seat, screaming into a hand as she was held down. She pushed at the stranger’s chest, tears falling from her eyes. She tried to scream when she felt her hair being pulled back, but it came out muffled. 

“Just shut up, okay?” Mark whispered harshly. He didn't know what he was doing. He had absolutely no idea what he had gotten himself into. Anxiety clouded his mind. Someone could catch him at any moment. Anyone could just walk to the car. They’d see what was happening. Mark pulled on the woman’s hair harder. One of his legs was slung around her, his knee resting on her seat, while his other was placed firmly on the ground outside of the car. He let go of her hair, reaching inside the pocket of his hoodie to show her a bottle of sleeping pills. The woman started mumbling something in his hand. Mark wondered if it was too late to just run. He didn't know why this particular kill was so hard. Maybe because it was his first time without Jaebum. The latter always seemed to have everything planned out. Nothing ever went wrong when Jaebum killed someone. Mark however, wasn't sure of himself. He caught himself trembling, but he couldn't stop. 

“You need to take these,” he stated before opening the bottle. He then removed his hand. As expected, the woman started screaming. He quickly dumped the pills in her mouth. She tried to spit them out but Mark quickly put his hand over her mouth again. She tried to scream, moving around wildly to try to get Mark off her. Mark squeezed her nose shut so she couldn't breathe. 

“Swallow them!” he demanded, a bit too loud. He couldn't stop shaking as he watched the woman resist until finally, she couldn't breathe. She swallowed them, and Mark quickly removed his hand. She took a deep breath, tears running down her cheeks. 

“Please” she heaved. Mark took a deep breath. He had to finish it; for Jaebum.

“We’re almost done,” he said. The woman suddenly grabbed the back of his collar, pulling it so his airway got cut off. He coughed as tears came to blur his vision. He pried the woman’s hands off him, taking a second to catch a breath. The woman was sobbing. Mark couldn't stand it. He pinched her nose shut again, pouring pills into her mouth when she opened it again. After 5 minutes, the bottle was empty. The woman wasn't resisting anymore. She just stared at Mark, the pills starting to kick in. Mark left after she has fallen asleep, knowing she'd never wake up’

The next day Jinyoung woke up in the living room, on the floor next to the window. He felt a pain shoot through his back. He turned his head to the side to see Mark and Jaebum on the couch. Mark was on one side, his legs in Jaebum’s lap, while Jaebum was sitting on the other. They hadn't noticed he was awake yet.

“We should put an end to it now, don't you think?” Jaebum said. Jinyoung noticed how his thumb was drawing circles on Mark’s lower leg.

“I like what we’re doing now. We can just leave him here and run. We’ll be gone before they find him.” Mark said, putting his arms behind his head. Jaebum sighed, and Jinyoung realized they were talking about him. 

“It’ll be fun!” Mark exclaimed. Jaebum’s eyes suddenly shot to Jinyoung, who quickly closed them. Jaebum had seen him already though.

“He’s awake,” he stated. Jinyoung opened his eyes again to see Mark look at him. He looked happy, cheerful. Jinyoung pushed himself up so he was in a sitting position. Jaebum looked annoyed. When Jinyoung didn't move, he spoke.

“You should go to your room,” he said. It was a suggestion but Jinyoung didn't feel like he had a choice. He slowly got up, walking out of the living room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave a comment if you liked it (if u want <3 ) cause i really appreciate them and they make me go AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 
> 
> what do you guys think is gonna happen next?


	5. Hyung?

“There was a reason I didn't kill you, you know.”

Mark and Jinyoung sat on the couch in the living room, facing each other. Jinyoung didn't know what time it was, but it had turned dark outside a while ago. The lamp in the living room was dim, and barely helped light the place. It being close to them did help, though. Mark leaned forward and Jinyoung would have moved away if he was still scared of Mark. Something, however, was keeping him in place. Maybe it was because Jaebum wasn't home. It made him feel calmer. 

Jinyoung’s eyes shot to Mark’s lips when he licked them. As soon as he realized, he moved them to his eyes. A small blush made its way onto Jinyoung’s cheeks. Mark was looking back at him, one of his eyebrows raised. A smirk played on his lips. He noticed what Jinyoung had looked at. The latter had never really paid attention to what Mark looked like. His skin was flawless, not even a single blemish present. Light brown hair fell in front of his face. Jinyoung thought it went well with his light skin tone and pink lips. He looked boyish, Jinyoung realized.

“Why?” Jinyoung asked, almost whispering. He stared as Mark leaned even closer. His heart thumped against his chest, but Jinyoung didn't pay any attention to it. He stared into Mark’s eyes. His pupils were blown, and Jinyoung wasn't sure if it was because of how little light the lamp provided or because of something else. 

It stayed quiet for a second. The air felt thick, almost constricting. It was as if they knew something was going to happen. The silence didn't last for long, though. Suddenly, Jinyoung felt himself get pushed back into the couch. Mark fell into place between his legs, holding himself up with his arms. Hungry yet playful eyes stared down at Jinyoung. 

“Why?” Mark repeated. He stared for a second before placing his hand on Jinyoung’s cheek, cupping it. Mark’s hand felt warm, inviting. Jinyoung leaned closer, liking the way Mark’s thumb drew circles into his skin. He didn't realize he had started humming until Mark spoke again.

“Because I think you’re beautiful.”

 

Jinyoung sat up, his head hitting something. He groaned in pain before opening his eyes. He was in his bed. When he realized it was a dream, his eyes grew wide. He was about to panic, when he noticed Jaebum next to his bed, holding his forehead and shooting daggers at him. He gasped, realizing he had really just head-butted Jaebum. 

“Hi,” he squeaked. Jaebum continued to look at him like he wanted him dead. Jinyoung felt small under Jaebum’s gaze. Eventually his hand fell from his face. He turned around without a word, leaving the room. Jinyoung frowned. He wondered why Jaebum was watching him in the first place. 

He thought back about the dream, and gasped. His face scrunched up. He should call it a nightmare instead. Goosebumps rose on his skin, just by thinking about it. He shook his head, deciding he’d stop thinking about it so he wouldn't completely lose it. He got out of bed, making his way towards the living room.

Jinyoung was in the hallway, about to open the door when he stopped himself. Mark and Jaebum were talking about something. He moved his head closer to the door, but he couldn't make out much.

“-change locations.” It was clear it was Jaebum talking.

“-move Jinyoung,” Mark said. 

Jinyoung leaned in closer, but he couldn't make out anything else. He took a step back, trying to put the pieces together. Were they going to move to a different place? Jinyoung wondered if it was because someone had caught them or if there was a different reason. An idea suddenly popped into his mind.

He moved back into his room, closing the door behind him. He grabbed a pen and paper from under his pillow. Days ago, he had found a small notebook in the kitchen. He'd taken it, along with a pen, so he could doodle when he was bored. He only had a few pieces of clean paper left. He sat down on the floor with his pen and notebook.

‘Dear Yugyeom, 

if you're reading this the police found this notebook. I’m probably not here anymore, because I heard the people who took me talk about changing locations…’

When Jinyoung finished, he felt relieved. He had explained everything in the letter. He hoped Yugyeom could hear the story from him instead of a note. Jinyoung hid the letter under his mattress. After he was sure it wouldn't be found (unless someone was looking for it), he left the room again. He went into the living room again. Mark was spread out on the couch, scrolling through his phone. He looked up when he heard the door. “Good morning,” he said before turning back to his phone.

Jinyoung didn't say anything, just took his usual seat near the window and let the day pass.

 

Sitting by a window for hours, looking at nothing, would have bored Jinyoung if he had anything better to do. The truth, however, was that he had all the free time he could have ever wished  
for. He didn't have anything to do, growing tired of doodling. So he just stared outside. It brought a kind of calm over him. 

“Jinyoung,” Mark called. Jinyoung blinked as he was forced out of his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder. Mark had moved from the couch to the table further into the room. Jaebum was sitting next to him. Jaebum had come home a few hours ago, painted in crimson red. Jinyoung had pretended he wasn't phased by the blood, not even turning from the window. Truth was, he had teared up realizing what exactly Jaebum had done. Jinyoung slowly rose, walking to the table. He stopped in front of it, fidgeting with the sleeves of his sweater.

“Yes?” he asked. Mark nodded at the chair in front of him, wanting him to sit down. He did, and that's when he noticed his own phone in Mark’s hands. He had never expected Mark to keep it. Could it be traced? Jinyoung hoped it could. He stared at the metal until Jaebum waved a hand in front of his face.

“Jinyoung,” He called out. Jinyoung looked up, his eyes a little big when he realized he had zoned out.

“Hm?” he asked. He hadn't realized Jaebum and Mark were talking to him. Jaebum let a deep sigh escape his lips. He looked at Mark, who just looked amused in return. 

“We’re going to let you make a phone call,” Mark said and instead of getting his hopes up, Jinyoung stayed calm. There had to be a catch. They would never just let him have a phone call. “But,” Mark continued. Jinyoung suppressed the urge to sigh. 

 

Five minutes later, Jinyoung was staring down at his phone. The rules Mark and Jaebum had given him were: one phone call only, keep the phone on speaker, don't mention either of them, don't call the police, and to tell whoever he calls he’s safe and okay. Jinyoung unlocked his phone, gasping. 81 new text messages, 234 missed calls. His social media accounts had all exploded as well. He stared at his home screen for a second before he felt Jaebum and Mark staring at him. He brought his shaky fingers to his screen, pulling down the notification screen to see the date. 

November 14th, 2017. 6:47 PM. 

When Jinyoung’s phone vibrated, he jumped and slammed his knee into the bottom of the table. ‘Yugyeomie~’ the display showed. Jinyoung held his breath. Yugyeom was calling him at this very second. He stared at the screen, asking himself if he could lie to his best friend. He shouldn't take it, because he simply couldn't. He knew he was going to break as soon as he heard Yugyeom’s voice. He looked at the phone; it was still vibrating. A tear rolled down his cheek, surprising him. He wiped his face with his sleeve. Then, he realized he didn't know if they were ever going to let him make another phone call. The thought scared him.

Jinyoung suddenly lunged forward, taking the phone as it stopped vibrating. He didn't notice how he had surprised both Mark and Jaebum with the sudden movement. He looked for Yugyeom’s contact, his hands shaking. He tried his best not to cry as he pressed it, putting it on speaker before placing it back onto the table. Yugyeom picked up immediately, and Jinyoung couldn't stop his own tears from falling when he heard Yugyeom sob through the phone. 

“Hyung?” He asked. Jinyoung closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Yugyeom never called him hyung. The honorific was thrown out of the window the moment they met. Jinyoung remembered being annoyed because of it in the beginning of their friendship, but Yugyeom was growing on him fast so he allowed it. He realized calling Yugyeom back was a mistake.

“Yes,” he said slowly, at a loss for words. Yugyeom whimpered.

“Is it really you?” he asked, his voice trembling. Jinyoung felt sad. He wanted to hug the younger. Knowing he was the reason Yugyeom was sad made him want to curl up in a ball for a few days.

“Please stop crying, Yugyeom,” Jinyoung said, trying to make his voice sound as neutral as possible. He heard Yugyeom sniffle.

“Where are you?” he asked. Jinyoung was expecting the question, but still felt caught off guard by it. He looked up. Mark was on his own phone, not even listening to the conversation. Jaebum was looking at Jinyoung’s phone, an unreadable expression on his face. He seemed confused, or mad, or both; Jinyoung couldn't tell.

“I’m-” Jinyoung paused. Jaebum looked up at him, narrowing his eyes as to give a warning. “I’m safe, Yugyeom. Please don't worry about me.” He said. Jaebum looked satisfied, but Yugyeom wasn't. 

“Don't worry? You're safe?” He said, and Jinyoung could hear the anger in his voice. “You were gone for 16 days, and you were on the news, and-” Yugyeom interrupted himself, stifling a sob. “How could you disappear like that?” 

This time, when Jinyoung felt tears slide down his face, he just let them be. He hated how powerless he felt. Yugyeom was blaming him because he simply didn't know what was happening. “It’s not like that!” Jinyoung raised his voice, silencing Yugyeom. Jaebum stared at him, and Mark looked up from his phone. Mark started writing something on a piece of paper when Yugyeom spoke again.

“What do you mean?” he asked quietly. The urge to tell him everything grew, but Jinyoung stayed silent. Mark showed him the piece of paper. ‘He’ll be in danger’, it said. Jinyoung took a deep breath. 

“Don't be mad at me,” Jinyoung said lowly, a weak attempt at avoiding the question.

“Jinyoung, what's going on? Where are you?” Yugyeom sounded like he had calmed himself down a little. Jinyoung stayed silent.

“Jinyoungie,” Yugyeom sighed. He sounded tired, and Jinyoung hated it. “If you tell me where you are, i'll pick you up right now. You don't even have to talk to me.”

When it stayed silent, Yugyeom spoke again. “I just want to make sure you're safe.” 

“I can't,” Jinyoung said, his voice faltering. 

Yugyeom stayed silent for a bit, as if he was contemplating something. “Jinyoung? Did I do something?” he asked silently.

“No!” Jinyoung answered instantly. “You didn't do shit.” Yugyeom didn't say anything, and Jinyoung took it as a cue to keep talking. “There's nothing more I want right now, but I can't come with you right now.” He said. Mark started to write down something else.

“Why not?” Yugyeom asked. He knew Jinyoung wasn't the one to keep things from him, so for him to do the exact opposite confused Yugyeom. “Who is stopping you?!” He yelled.

Jinyoung looked at Mark and Jaebum, as if Yugyeom was there to see it. Mark was holding up a paper telling him to hang up. Jinyoung looked away.

“You know what? Just call me when you decide whatever you're keeping from me isn't more important than our friendship.” Yugyeom said. Then, the line went dead. Jinyoung stared at the phone for a few seconds before bringing his hands to his face. The room had turned silent, the only sounds being Jinyoung’s soft hiccups.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	6. Losing it

‘You know what? Just call me when you decide whatever you're keeping from me isn't more important than our friendship’.

The words kept repeating themselves in Jinyoung’s head. Last time he had checked the time it was 11:37, but he was sure hours had passed since then. He laid in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. It was supposed to be white but looked like a light grey. There were brown spots on it that looked like someone had thrown a coffee mug into the air without thinking of the consequences.

Jinyoung’s mind switched back to Yugyeom. ‘More important than our friendship’, he had said. Jinyoung used to think his friendship with Yugyeom was one of, if not the most, important thing in his life. Coming here, he realized he was wrong. Jaebum’s voice came back into his mind. ‘If you break the rules, you'll bring whoever you call in danger too’. Jinyoung decided he had done the right thing by lying, even if it hurt him. Yugyeom’s safety was more important. Jinyoung had added to his letter when he had entered his room again. He sighed loudly, turning onto his stomach. He had enough of the coffee stains.

He thought about Mark. Mark had proven to be nicer than your average murderer. In these past few weeks he had not just fed him, but gone as far as tend his wounds and lend him clothes (that he didn't end up wearing, but it's the thought that counts, right?). It was worrying how his mood would change in a split second, but other than that he wasn't bad.

And that scared Jinyoung. He didn't know why he wasn't as terrified of Mark as he was of Jaebum. Jaebum might have hurt him physically, but that didn't compare to Mark. Mark had killed someone in front of his eyes, Mark had tied him up in the back of a car. Mark was the reason why he was in this mess, yet Jinyoung couldn't feel scared of him.

Jinyoung turned on his side, restless. The scratchy covers rubbed over his skin. Jinyoung was used to them now, having forgotten what normal linen feel like. He felt like Mark was too good to be true. He was horrible but he hadn't once purposely upset Jinyoung since he was in the house. Jinyoung sighed, thinking about Yugyeom again. He wondered what the younger was doing.

Hours passed before Jinyoung got up. He hadn't slept at all. He felt tired, and all he wanted to do is fall into a state of nothingness but his body wasn't allowing it. So he slouched to the kitchen, grabbing a glass from the cupboard. A shiver ran down his spine when he realized how familiar it all felt; how he knew exactly what cupboard to open to get what he needed. He filled his cup with water, looking out of the window. It was still dark out, but the sun was rising.

He decided to go into the living room. When he reached it, he made a beeline to his usual spot next to the window. He sat down, putting his glass on the window sill. An eerie silence filled the room, and Jinyoung hated it.

He missed his tiny apartment in the middle of the city. It was too expensive, always noisy and the walls were as thin as paper. Jinyoung used to complain about it all the time, telling Yugyeom he'd move out of it as soon as he found a different place. Right now, however, he'd give everything to be in his bed, restless because of drunk people fighting or taxi drivers honking at each other.

Jinyoung noticed something move outside. His eyes grew wide as the silhouettes came closer. Instead of jumping up, he stayed hidden behind the window sill. He watched the shadows until he could make out two people: Mark and Jaebum. Jinyoung raised his eyebrows. He hadn't heard them leave the house, even though he'd been awake all night. The pair walked towards the door, slipping into the house.

The silence that had engulfed the house disappeared, and in its place came booming laughter and footsteps headed towards the living room. Jinyoung stayed still in his crouched position besides the windowsill, hoping the shadows would do a good job hiding him.

When they entered, Jinyoung could make out blood covering both of them. He put his hand over his mouth so he would be sure he wouldn't make a noise. He froze as Mark’s eyes found their way to the window. “Jinyoungie!” Mark yelled, dragging out the nickname. He was staring right at him. It took Jaebum a second to find Jinyoung. When he did, Mark had already dragged himself towards Jinyoung.

“Get up,” he said. Jinyoung for some reason didn’t feel scared as he did so. When he was standing, he realized how close Mark was. His heart was beating faster than ever. The way Mark was acting triggered all the red flags inside of Jinyoung’s mind, but he stayed in his spot anyway.

Mark suddenly grabbed his face, squishing Jinyoung’s cheeks together. He held his hands there for a few seconds before releasing Jinyoung’s face, bursting out in laughter. He doubled over, laughing uncontrollably. Jinyoung couldn’t help but blush. He was glad it was in the middle of the night or Mark would have noticed. When the killer finished laughing, he stood face to face with Jinyoung again. It stayed silent for a short while before Mark started dragging his hand up Jinyoung’s body, slowly. When he’d reached his neck, he stopped moving it. Jinyoung noticed how big Mark’s hand was compared to his own.

Mark pressed down on Jinyoung’s throat, forcing something between a cry and a scream past his lips. He looked at Mark. He looked like he had completely lost his mind, his mouth twisted into a grin. His hair, stuck together with dry blood, was standing in every direction possible. And even when Mark pressed down harder, even when it was starting to get hard to breathe, Jinyoung stayed where he was. He told himself he just didn’t want to anger Mark.

As soon as Jinyoung cried out, Jaebum stepped stepped forward. He put his hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Mark,” he said in a low voice. Somehow it scared Jinyoung more than the slender fingers pressing into his throat. He was starting to feel dizzy now, coughing when Mark moved his hand a little. They made eye contact. Jinyoung only broke it when black spots started to cover his vision. Finally, his hands flew to Mark’s. He dug his nails into it, but Mark didn’t budge. Jinyoung remembered seeing Mark kill someone like this. It was weeks ago. He remembers being terrified back then. He wondered why he wasn’t right now.

Suddenly, Mark was gone. Jaebum had pulled him back. Jinyoung took a deep breath, still coughing as Jaebum dragged Mark away. “We made a promise, remember?” Jaebum said. Mark was trying to let Jaebum to let go, digging his nails into his hand. Jaebum didn’t budge.

“Just let go,” Mark whined, tugging on his arm. Jaebum pulled Mark forward, tugging his hair back.

“Listen to me,” he growled, lips close to Mark’s ear. Mark immediately went limp into his arms. “You are not acting like yourself right now.” Mark stayed silent for a bit, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes, feeling Jaebum’s hand move from his upper arm to his wrist. He exhaled deeply before opening his eyes. Jaebum let go of his hair, allowing Mark to look at him. It was silent for a second until Mark spoke again.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. He resisted the urge to fall into Jaebum. He had lost himself for a second. It was his only flaw. He would lose touch of everything sometimes. It was okay when it happened during a murder, but Mark had ended up killing random people on the street. It was dangerous, he would have gotten caught if it wasn’t for Jaebum.

“Just stick to the plan,” Jaebum said.

Jinyoung stared at the two as they walked upstairs, not sparing him a second glance. He touched his throat, watching them until they disappeared into the bathroom. He sunk down onto the floor. His mind was a mess. He didn’t know what had just happened. Why hadn’t he resisted? If it wasn’t for Jaebum, he would have died right there. The thought had his head spinning.

 

“You have to believe me! I know he isn't safe.”

The police officer finally looked up from the computer. In front of him stood a tall, teenage boy. Fringe was close to covering his eyes. He was clutching his phone in one hand. His other hand was clenched into a fist by his side, a sleeve of his long sweater covering it. Yugyeom let out a noise in frustration when the officer didn't say anything.

“He said he was safe but it's so unlike him to hide anything from me, just- please.” Yugyeom’s eyes were starting to get glossy. He took a deep breath. When Jinyoung called Yugyeom, he was hurt. He couldn't believe his best friend would just leave and let everyone worry about him. But the longer he thought about it, the more he realized how Jinyoung would never do something like that. Less than two hours after Yugyeom ended the phone call, he was at the police station.

“So,” the police officer started. “You want us to trace the call because you think you're onto something? That's not how this works, kid.” Yugyeom looked down at his shoes. He didn't say anything, giving the officer the chance to continue. “Do you know how many people get reported missing every day? Just because-”

“That’s enough,” a voice interrupted. Yugyeom looked up to see the chief. Yugyeom remembered him from earlier visits. His name was Park Jungwook, and he had been the kindest out of everyone. His hand rested on the officer’s shoulder. He flashed Yugyeom a smile before looking at the officer. “I’ll take it from here,” he said before walking away, motioning for Yugyeom to follow him.

When they were in Jungwook’s office, Yugyeom sat down in one of the seats. Usually the chief would ask first, but Yugyeom decided to skip the routine. The standard questions were starting to get on his nerves. “So, Yugyeom,” Jungwook started after he sat down. “What brings you here?”

Yugyeom took a deep breath before he started explaining what had happened earlier that day. From Jinyoung calling him, to him snapping, to him realizing Jinyoung could never hurt anyone this much. Jungwook didn't interrupt him, waiting for him to finish. “-and it doesn’t feel right, and I was hoping you could trace the call. I know it's a lot of effort, especially after Jinyoung said he was fine but-” Jungwook interrupted him.

“I think it's a good idea to trace the call,” he said. Yugyeom hoped he would be able to see Jinyoung again soon. The thought made him smile. It was a small smile, but it was the first genuine one since Jinyoung’s disappearance. His nights had been restless, calling the older multiple times a day even though he realized Jinyoung wouldn't pick up.

Yugyeom hadn't realized how dependent he was on his best friend until he was gone. Walking around town was something he’d grown to hate because even when no one was bothering him about Jinyoung, asking if he’d been found yet, memories would haunt him. Walking past the grocery store meant remembering the one time Jinyoung accidentally fell into stacks of canned corn while trying to be funny (they did clean the mess up afterwards, but the manager was angry anyway).

Walking past the small high school meant remembering the first time they met. Yugyeom and his friends had taken the table Jinyoung and his friends always sat at. There had been an argument because one of Jinyoung's friends refused to give up their table to ‘a couple of annoying freshmen’.

Even his room didn't feel safe; it made him think of the countless sleepovers the two of them had. Before he had his own place, Jinyoung used to squeeze himself through the small window whenever his parents were being horrible. Jinyoung never elaborated on what they did, just that they were horrible.

Yugyeom walked out of the police station that evening feeling relieved. He was sure they would find Jinyoung. The thought of seeing his best friend again made his heart jump

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m SOSOSOOSSO SORRYYY for not updating in like 2683 years i’m not dead i proMISE i’m just really really busy rn but i’ll try my best to update soon!! did you guys like this chapter?? or were y’all like what is she doing .


	7. Raging thunderstorms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVERYTHING IS A MESS IDK WHATS HAPPENIIIIING AAAAAAAAAAAA (go to the notes at the end if u wanna see trigger warnings i don’t want to do it here because spoilers)
> 
> also sorry if there’s a million spelling mistakes in it i am a mess this is a mess i am so sorry

It happened two days later. 

Jinyoung opened his eyes when he felt the air get knocked out of him. He gasped, trying to get up. That’s when he felt a weight holding him down. He could see the outline of someone sitting on top of his legs. He tried pushing the person away, but ended up with his wrists pinned against the bed. As his eyes got used to the dark, he could make out Jaebum’s features. He cried out in pain when he let go one of his wrists to slap him in the face. “Mark,” Jinyoung called out. It was involuntary and he regretted it as soon as the name had left his mouth. Jaebum looked at him tauntingly, a grin slowly starting to cover his face. 

“Mark?” He spat before letting out a laugh. Jinyoung felt humiliated. He attempted to free himself from Jaebum, but the other just laughed again. “You want to see Mark, huh?” He asked before moving off Jinyoung. He pulled Jinyoung off the bed by his sweater, barely giving him a second to catch his breath before he started dragging him out of the room and into the living room. 

When they got to the living room, Jinyoung immediately noticed how the couch and table were pushed back. A single chair stood in their place. Jinyoung felt himself grow anxious when he realized Mark wasn’t there. He wondered if Jaebum was just acting on impulse. ‘Stick to the plan’ he had told Mark just two days ago. Jinyoung felt himself get pushed into the chair. He looked up to see Jaebum with rope in his hands. The light fell in all the wrong places, making him look even scarier. Jaebum crouched down in front of Jinyoung, grabbing one of his wrists. Jinyoung realized Jaebum definitely wanted to hurt, if not kill, him. He pushed him away with as much force as he could. Jaebum fell back, giving him the opportunity to get out of the chair. He ran away, trying to open the door to the hallway. It was locked. He cursed, not realizing Jaebum had locked it. He looked back to see Jaebum had gotten up. He tried running up the stairs but before he could reach them, he felt an arm snake around his waist. He screamed when Jaebum pulled him against his chest. 

“Please don’t hurt me,” He said, digging his nails into the arm around him. Jaebum easily pulled him back to the chair, pushing him into it again. He looked up to see Jaebum grinning at him. Jinyoung knew Jaebum was enjoying the fight he was putting up, and the thought of it was terrifying. Jaebum crouched down, grabbing Jinyoung’s face. Jinyoung froze, feeling his fingertips push into his cheeks. “Stop struggling, Jinyoung” he said. 

When Jaebum let go of his face, Jinyoung didn’t move. It was only when Jaebum had tied one of his wrists to the armrest of the chair, did Jinyoung start to struggle again. “Why?” He asked, looking up at Jaebum. When Jaebum grabbed his free wrist without saying anything, he knew he wasn’t going to get an answer. He pulled his hand back. Jaebum looked up, the same look in his eyes. Jinyoung couldn't grasp how content Jaebum looked. It didn’t feel real. 

Jinyoung felt Jaebum grab his free wrist, pushing it onto the armrest. Jinyoung was ready to pull it back again, but stopped as soon as he felt something sharp ghost over his knuckles. Jaebum smirked, flipping Jinyoung’s arm so his wrist was exposed. He traced the veins with his knife. When Jinyoung didn’t move, Jaebum tied his arm to the armrest. Unlike his other arm, he left the inside of Jinyoung’s wrist facing up. 

Jaebum grinned before moving out of view. Jinyoung, instead of looking at Jaebum, stared at the window in front of him. The once peaceful rain had turned into a raging thunderstorm, with heavy raindrops aggressively hitting the thin glass. He was too afraid to turn around to see what Jaebum was doing, so his eyes stayed fixed on the window.

A soft chuckle on his right snapped Jinyoung out of his thoughts. He turned his head to see Mark look at him. His eyes were as dark as they had been two days ago. Mark was in on it; this was their plan. When he took a step towards him, Jinyoung wanted to shrink back into the chair. Mark slowly made his way to Jinyoung, crouching down in front of him. 

“I heard you called for me,” he said, amused. Jinyoung felt his cheeks heat up. He looked away quickly, not saying anything. He wanted to cry. Mark placed his elbows on Jinyoung’s knees, putting his head on top of his hands. “How are you?” he asked as if he couldn’t see how terrified Jinyoung was. When he realized Jinyoung wasn’t going to answer him, he got up. 

“Did you really think we would let you go, Jinyoung?” Mark said before letting out a snort. It was enough for Jinyoung to look down, not wanting to meet the killer’s eyes. “Did you really think we wouldn’t hurt you?” Jinyoung bit on his lip, trying to do something to distract him from whatever Mark would say next. He could hear Jaebum walk up and down the stairs behind him. 

“You’re pathetic,” Mark stated. Jinyoung could hear him walk behind the chair. He pulled on Jinyoung’s hair, forcing his head up. Jinyoung let out a whimper. He tried tugging his wrists from the armrests, knowing he could never escape Jaebum’s knots. Mark was right; he was pathetic. Jinyoung froze when he felt the tip of a knife hit his throat. He took a deep breath, feeling tears sting behind his eyes. If Mark pushed hard enough, he would die right there. He would never make up with Yugyeom, he would never go back to his annoying apartment. 

Mark lifted the knife.

Jinyoung felt a single tear run down his cheek. He let his head fall forward again as soon as Mark let go of him. He heard him walk around the chair again. “Don’t worry, we won’t just kill you like that. I mean, where’s the fun in that?” 

Jinyoung’s head snapped up. He looked at Mark, who still had a grin plastered on his face. “What do you mean?” Jinyoung’s voice wavered when he spoke. He wanted to hide. Mark licked his lips. It stayed silent for a second before he let out a loud laugh. Jinyoung wondered how he had ever seen good in Mark.

 

Five minutes had passed, but to Jinyoung it felt like an hour. Mark and Jaebum had taken turns vocally abusing him. ‘If anyone actually cared about you, they would have found you by now. It’s okay though, you’ll be six feet under soon anyway.’ was just one of many things Jaebum had said. Mark’s words were more taunting, asking him things like ‘How long did you think you had left?’. Jinyoung had let more tears stain his cheeks. Mark and Jaebum had laughed about it together. Jaebum had even bent down to wipe one of them away, stating he should ‘save them for when it really starts to hurt’. 

Jinyoung looked at Mark. He was walking towards him again. When he reached him, he pulled a knife out from behind his back. Jinyoung shrunk in his chair. He tried pushing his feet onto the floor to get away, but Mark just pulled him back by his sweater. “Don’t run away from me Jinyoung, I just want to have a little fun,” he said before putting the knife on Jinyoung’s exposed wrist horizontally. Jinyoung let out a cry, struggling in his binds. He was so, so scared. 

“Please don’t,” he said. More tears started falling. Jinyoung’s vision blurred, and then Mark dragged the metal across his skin. Because of Jinyoung struggling, he ended up cutting the rope too. It wasn’t enough to break it, though. Jinyoung screamed. Blood immediately started to run out of the wound. Mark made another cut next to the first; and another, and another. Each cut was deeper than the one before. “Stop!” Jinyoung cried, looking away. His arm felt like it was on fire. He could feel the blood trickle down his arm. A few drops seeped into the material of his jeans. He gasped for air, letting out another scream when Mark made his last cut. It was the deepest out of all of them, and Jinyoung could feel it. He cried out when he felt more blood on his jeans.

Mark grabbed his face, turning it so they faced each other. They made eye contact. Jinyoung sniffled, closing his eyes. He hiccuped, trying to turn his face away. Mark just held onto him tighter. Jinyoung felt the bloody metal touch his cheek. “What if I were to-,” Mark dragged the knife across Jinyoung’s cheek before he finished his sentence. Jinyoung wailed. He tore his face free, pushing his feet onto the floor. He pushed himself away from Mark. He could hear both killers laugh. “Come back, Jinyoungie,” Mark said. Jinyoung struggled to get out of the chair. He pulled his injured arm up, surprised when the rope snapped. 

Mark didn’t seem to care Jinyoung had freed one of his arms. He grabbed onto the front legs of the chair, pulling it back to him. Jinyoung was holding his face, now curled up on the chair. Crimson red was bleeding onto his hand. One of his arms was still tied up. “Please stop, please stop,” he begged. He could hear Jaebum get behind him. He felt him grab his hair, pulling his head up so the cut on his face was visible. Mark got closer, looking at the cut as if he wasn’t the one that had just made it. 

“So pretty,” he said. Then, he got up. Jaebum laughed, not letting go of Jinyoung until Mark returned. He had brought Jinyoung’s phone. Jinyoung stared at Mark as he started to mess with it. When he thought Mark was distracted enough, Jinyoung tried getting up. Mark, however, quickly pushed him down again. He then dropped himself onto Jinyoung’s lap, throwing his legs over the armrest that had his arm still tied to it. 

“Get off,” Jinyoung said, stuttering. Mark ignored him, too busy with the phone. When he found what he was looking for, he seemed content. He called Jaebum, showing him the screen. Jaebum snorted, telling Mark he was being ‘too much’ before holding a hand over Jinyoung’s mouth. Jinyoung jumped, bringing his hand up to Jaebum’s. He tugged on it, but his arm hurt too much to put pressure. He couldn’t move his good arm because of the rope and Mark’s legs trapping it. Mark put the phone on speaker. 

Jinyoung froze as he realized Mark was calling someone. “Jinyoung? Jinyoung, I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have gotten mad at you,” Yugyeom’s voice filled the room. Jinyoung had always liked his voice. He remembers jokingly making fun of it when they were still in high school, saying it was too high-pitched. Truth was, Yugyeom’s voice was as sweet as honey and it was something Jinyoung would never get to hear again. As he realized, he started crying again. He didn’t try to stop himself anymore. “And I know our friendship means a lot to you,” it stayed silent for a second before Yugyeom continued, “and it means a lot to me too, and you mean a lot to me, and I just want you to be safe, and-“ Jinyoung’s body was shaking as his sobs increased, all muffled by Jaebum’s hand. He didn’t scream. He didn’t want to sound like he was in pain when Yugyeom could hear him, afraid it would be traumatic to the younger. Yugyeom didn’t deserve it.

“Jinyoungie?” Yugyeom asked, suddenly growing silent. Yugyeom didn’t say anything for a few seconds before trying again. “Jinyoung, are you there?” Jinyoung closed his eyes, sick of the content smile on Mark’s face. He could hear Jaebum try to hold his laugh from behind him. This was all just a joke to them. A sick little joke. In the back of his mind, Jinyoung wondered if this was something they did often; he wondered what was so appealing about completely breaking someone.

“Please say something, Jinyoungie.” 

Yugyeom sounded close to tears himself. Jinyoung felt powerless. He wanted to tell Yugyeom what was going on. He hadn’t just disappeared, he was taken. The thought of Yugyeom thinking he had left on his own made his heart ache. Jinyoung felt a blow to his cheek. He opened his eyes. Tears immediately blurred Mark’s face. He felt Jaebum lift his hand off his mouth. He didn’t waste any time. “Yugyeom,” he sobbed, gasping for air in between syllables. 

“Jinyoung? Jinyoung, are you okay? I freaked out after our call, and I told the police to track your phone, and they said they would later today, and-“ Jinyoung looked at Mark. He was looking at Jaebum. It looked like they were talking through just eye contact. Jinyoung knew he wouldn’t see the police arrive. 

“Yugyeom,” he said again. “I’m sorry, I love you. I never ran, I-“ Jaebum slapped his hand back onto his mouth. Jinyoung started struggling again, protesting into the hand. “Time’s up,” Jaebum whispered into Jinyoung’s ear before Mark ended the call. 

The killers were ruthless. After the call had ended, they had taken turns carving lines into Jinyoung’s skin. At one point, Mark had cut his sweater in half, leaving shreds of fabric hanging from his back with his torso exposed. Jinyoung screamed and cried and begged every time he felt the knife push into his flesh. It was the reaction the pair liked the most. 

Jinyoung didn’t remember how much time had passed when he started seeing black spots. ‘Stay awake’ he told himself, fighting to keep his eyes open. He couldn’t feel Mark or Jaebum on him anymore. He started taking deeper breaths. He had to stay awake. He hadn’t noticed Mark walk back to him.

“Oh, look. He’s shaking all over,” he said mockingly. Jinyoung looked at his hand. He was shaking, but he couldn’t stop staring at it because of something else. It had turned pale. Jinyoung wasn’t sure if it was even his hand. He touched his hand that was still tied to the chair. It felt cold. Jinyoung felt tired just moving his arm. He dropped it into his lap.

He couldn’t bring himself to struggle when he felt someone grab his face, lifting it up. He looked at Mark. His pupils were blown, and he was smiling. “You’re super cold, you know,” he said. Jinyoung didn’t say anything. “I’m surprised you’re not gone yet.”

“You are disgusting.” Jinyoung stated, looking straight at Mark. He didn’t know where the sudden courage came from. Mark looked a little surprised at first, but then he just laughed. “Am I?” He said almost mockingly. 

Jinyoung suddenly felt something build up in his throat. He coughed, tasting blood on his lips. He whimpered, aware of how much blood he had lost already. The black spots had taken over most of his vision. “There we go,” Mark said. It sounded distant. ‘Stay awake, stay awake’ Jinyoung told himself. Mark leaned over the chair so he was closer to Jinyoung. Jinyoung could feel Mark’s breath on his neck. It almost felt too hot on his skin. He didn’t have the energy to push Mark away so he looked over his shoulder, out of the window.

Jinyoung estimated it was early evening. It was still raining. The clouds had gotten darker. It was storming; the sky was screaming. There was no thunder, though. Jinyoung remembered all of the times he had gone outside when the weather was bad. It sounded stupid, and maybe it was, but something about the angry clouds and bright thunder strikes was just so appealing to Jinyoung. 

Suddenly, Jinyoung felt a sharp pain shoot through his entire body. He screamed, or maybe it was a mere whimper, but it took him everything to do so. He fell into Mark, who didn’t even attempt to move away. Mark said something, but it was too far away. Jinyoung felt everything; he felt the piercing pain. He felt the pent up anger. He felt the same fear he had felt for weeks. Most importantly, he felt the sadness that had come with it. He thought of Yugyeom for a brief moment, but the pain brought him back to reality. Jinyoung felt everything, and then it was all gone as he went limp in Mark’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: blood, gore?? major character death n i think that’s it 
> 
> —  
> I AM SO SORRY IDK WHAT- IDK . i feel dead this fic was a part of my life for like seven months and it’s over?? I finished something for the first time in like three years AMAZING. I can’t do them long author notes at the end of a story because i’ll actually start crying okay sTOP I MISS ANOTHER PLACE ALREADY PLS
> 
> as u can see i’m a mess but u could probably tell by previous author notes yes ok
> 
> **also when ur reading this i uploaded chapter 8 which is like a lil bonus/closure thing?? idk?? 
> 
> also x2 i’m not proof reading my notes cause i wanted to post at midnight but it’s 12:05 nOoooOooo so if there’s mistakes u know


	8. A blue-toned battlefield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is more like a chapter to end it because if i just made 7 the very last chapter i would have sucked ok enjoy

‘MISSING SEOUL STUDENT PARK JINYOUNG FOUND IN ABANDONED MANSION

Park Jinyoung was registered missing on October 30th by his friends when he had not been at college, nor at his apartment located in downtown Seoul. His case has gotten a lot of media coverage because of a different case that happened near the victim’s house on the assumed night of his disappearance, October 29th. On November 17th, late in the afternoon, his body was found by multiple police units. One of Park’s friends claims he was murdered, but the Seoul Police Department refuses to confirm the statement at this moment. Park was found in an abandoned mansion, less than an hour from Seoul, which is supposedly the place he spent his last few weeks in.-‘

 

Red and blue lights hit the brick walls of the shabby mansion. To Yugyeom, it looked like it could have been haunted. It had taken them over an hour to find the building, because it was long forgotten and on top of that, hard to find. It had been raining all day, but a while ago it started thundering as well. Even though Yugyeom hated rain, preferring the sun for obvious reasons, he knew Jinyoung loved bad weather. He hoped it meant something good. 

Currently, he was sitting in the back of a police car. Park Jungwook had demanded he stay inside the vehicle. It smelled like the chief’s somewhat cheap cologne. Both of them knew Yugyeom would not just stay inside, which is why he was put in the back of the car. The car doors in the back had a lock on them, preventing them to be opened from the inside. Yugyeom looked out of the raindrop-covered window. At least a dozen police officers stood outside of the mansion, ready to go in. Yugyeom noticed a paramedic team as well. He tore his gaze from them. Instead, he got up (as much as he could without hitting his head on the ceiling). He put one of his feet on the driver's seat, the other soon following. He sunk down so he was sitting in the seat. 

When he was sure everyone was inside of the mansion, he got out. Rain immediately poured down on him. He was soaked before he could even reach the building, his hair sticking to his forehead. When he got closer, he decided to look out of the window instead of going inside. He wiped a bit of the window pane with his sleeve before putting his hands on it to look inside. 

Yugyeom didn’t notice the big room like Jinyoung had. He didn’t notice the big, now empty bookshelf. Didn’t notice the oak colored wood covering the floor, or the walls that seemed to match it. He failed to realize the leather couch didn’t match the rest of the interior. He paid no attention to the dining table, or the tv, or the glass table. They had been pushed back, but all of the furniture was still there. Yugyeom couldn't focus on the empty spaces in the room because his gaze was fixated on the back of a police officer. He was standing right in front of the thing everyone seemed to be looking at. When the officer moved, Yugyeom’s breath got caught in his throat.

Jinyoung was slouched down onto the chair, almost falling off it. One of his arms was tied up to an arm rest. It had a large cut on it, going from his elbow all the way to where the rope trapped his wrist. His other arm had more cuts on it, all horizontal and perfectly aligned. There was just one cut on his right cheek. It was a deep one, and the blood that had come out of it had been smeared all over his face and neck. Yugyeom recognized the sweater Jinyoung had worn. It was the last thing he had seen his best friend in. He had to describe it to police officers, and journalists, and sketch artists, and supposedly friendly locals who wanted to keep an eye out. The light grey sweater seemed to be either cut or ripped open, tattered and barely hanging from his shoulders. His chest had long cuts on it as well. Jinyoung’s skin was so pale. He didn’t look like himself. His clear, golden skin had turned in a blue-toned battlefield, blood all over. 

Yugyeom’s eyes moved to the thing he noticed first. It was impossible to miss. Jinyoung’s free hand was covering a big gash on his stomach. It looked like it had stopped bleeding not too long ago, blood still wet and dripping. 

Yugyeom noticed all of the scratches on Jinyoung’s body in less than two seconds, because that’s how long he looked at his best friend’s corpse before he collapsed into the wet grass below him. Jinyoung would have cringed and prayed for the grass stains that were starting to form in Yugyeom’s light blue jeans. Yugyeom screamed, letting his emotions take over him. He was confused, sad, angry. It didn’t feel real. He closed his eyes and all he could see was Jinyoung. Not the Jinyoung he was used to seeing: the happy, somewhat nerdy Jinyoung that never failed to bring the best out of him. No, all he saw was his very best friend that had died, drowning in his own blood. 

And as chief Park Jungwook came running out of the worm mansion, dragging Yugyeom off the floor and back to the car, Yugyeom didn’t protest. They hadn’t even reached the vehicle when Yugyeom was left alone again, barely noticing the chief run back inside. He dropped to his knees, this time greeted by concrete instead of soft grass. He let himself fall down, turning so he laid flat on his back. Raindrops landed on his face, mixing together with his tears. They landed on his cheeks, and on his nose. They got into his eyes, which he refused to close because he was too scared he would see something he didn’t want to see. Yugyeom’s body shook from the cold and the violent sobs that were leaving his body. 

‘-it is still uncertain if the college student was held against his will. The Police Department has not been able to find any clues inside of, or near the crime scene. If the victim was taken forcefully, the authorities believes two or more people were involved. These individuals, however, have not been identified or even confirmed, as there is currently no evidence.’

 

On November 18th, a notebook was found under a single bed in a small room close to the living room. 

“Dear Yugyeom,

if you're reading this, someone found this notebook. I’m probably not here anymore, because I heard the people who took me talk about changing locations. Their names are — and —. I don’t know their last names, but I will draw them below so the police will know who to look for. They are pretty young-“

The page was ripped into two. The middle part, including the drawings, was missing. The two names were crossed out as well. 

“I want you to know I didn’t leave on my own. I witnessed a murder after I left your place, and the murderer caught me. I couldn’t escape him. He was faster than I was, and he took me here. — is also a murderer, but I’ve never seen him hurt anyone but me. Please find me before one of them snaps. I know I won’t be able to stop them if they do. Also, when I called you, I wasn’t allowed to say anything that would blow their cover. They said they would hurt you if I did. I would rather die myself than let them hurt you. I promise I didn’t want to lie to you, though. I’m so scared, Yugyeomie. 

I hope you’re not still angry at me, because you mean a lot to me.. I love you. We will see each other soon, right? 

\- Jinyoungie”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so emotional i finished this,, 
> 
> please, please, please tell me what you thought about the ending and just the story in general. I appreciate comments so much like even if it’s just you screaming they make me so happy!!! and it gives me insight on how everyone else views my works so please?? if u wanna??


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